“Permanent” hair treatments, such as coloring, bleaching and straightening/waving, as well as other environmental and consumer habits (UV light, thermal drying, brushing/combing) cause damaged hair in various ways. Typically, hair damage also leads to the loss of natural internal lipids (as well as hair protein), which play an important role in hair structure. For example, lipids hold the hair proteins together as part of the cuticle/cortex membrane. Thus, internal hair lipid loss is associated with reduced hair mechanical strength. Loss of lipids also leads to increased moisture uptake when the hair is exposed to high humidity, leading to frizz. The present invention is directed to the development of compositions that can replenish internal lipids and repair damaged hair fibers.
Consumers using compositions of this technology experience an improvement in hair health from penetration of these materials and blends, resulting in more softness and combability. Consumers' hair becomes more structurally similar to emerging hair in terms of the internal lipid content. Typical current commercial hair care products contain surface benefit agents such as silicones and deposition polymers, to aid in lowering the surface energy of hair to protect against mechanical damage from combing. However, the use of typical commercial products do not significantly prevent hair tip damage, because of damage of the internal hair structure likely caused from loss of hair lipids and proteins through washing, UV and coloring damage. The present invention seeks to improve fiber properties by introducing lipids inside the hair fiber. Consequently, a need exists for a product that replenishes internal hair lipids providing improved softness and combability.